Taylor 618e Grand Orchestra Acoustic-Electric Guitar – Antique Blonde

Taylor 618e Grand Orchestra Acoustic-Electric Guitar with V-Class Bracing & ES2 Electronics

The Taylor 618e Grand Orchestra acoustic-electric guitar delivers a powerful, deeply voiced acoustic experience with the clarity, responsiveness, and tonal transparency of solid maple. This reimagined Taylor 600 Series model pairs a solid torrefied Sitka spruce top with solid Big Leaf maple back and sides, then uses Taylor's innovative V-Class bracing with Relief Rout to harness the large air capacity of the Grand Orchestra body.

The result is a remarkably responsive acoustic guitar with powerful projection, extended sustain, exceptional touch sensitivity, and improved intonation. Maple's naturally clear and linear tonal character allows the nuances of your playing technique to come through, while Taylor's updated voicing gives the 618e greater warmth, complexity, volume, sustain, and responsiveness.

Finished in a beautiful Antique Blonde gloss, the 618e also features a distinctive Mission inlay pattern inspired by the facades of California's Spanish missions, along with maple binding accented by koa and ivoroid top trim.

For amplified performance, the Taylor 618e features the Expression System 2 Professional Audio-Grade electronics, giving players a natural, dynamic amplified sound for the stage, studio, or direct recording.

A Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Case is included.

A Powerful & Responsive Grand Orchestra

The Grand Orchestra is Taylor's biggest and deepest body shape, designed to deliver an expansive acoustic voice with exceptional richness, complexity, and projection.

Despite its substantial size, the Grand Orchestra is specially braced to respond to a light touch. This gives the 618e a remarkably broad dynamic range, making it equally capable of producing subtle, expressive tones or a powerful, full-bodied acoustic sound.

The Grand Orchestra is particularly well suited for players who want:

• A rich, powerful acoustic voice
• Strong projection and sustain
• Excellent responsiveness to playing dynamics
• A large, immersive tonal palette
• The feel and presence of a jumbo-size acoustic guitar
• An instrument capable of filling a room in solo performance

Taylor's Grand Orchestra design gives the 618e the acoustic power of a large-bodied guitar while retaining the articulation and balance expected from a premium Taylor.

Solid Torrefied Sitka Spruce Top

The Taylor 618e features a solid Sitka spruce top, one of the most widely used tonewoods for acoustic guitar soundboards.

Sitka spruce combines stiffness and elasticity to provide a broad dynamic range with crisp articulation. The 600 Series adds Taylor's special torrefaction process, which treats the spruce to produce an aged tonal character while enhancing acoustic resonance and responsiveness.

The result is a responsive soundboard capable of handling everything from delicate fingerstyle playing to powerful strumming and flatpicking.

Solid Big Leaf Maple Back & Sides

The 618e's solid Big Leaf maple back and sides give this Grand Orchestra its distinctive tonal identity.

Maple is traditionally valued for its focused, clear character and fast note response. Taylor's voicing approach expands on those natural characteristics, giving the 618e greater warmth, complexity, volume, sustain, and responsiveness while retaining maple's naturally clear and linear qualities.

The result is a more multidimensional maple acoustic guitar with:

• Clear high-end response
• Extended low-end presence
• Increased warmth and complexity
• Strong volume and projection
• Excellent sustain
• Highly responsive playing dynamics
• Exceptional clarity between individual notes

Because maple is particularly reflective of the player's technique, the 618e is an excellent choice for guitarists who vary their picking attack or rely heavily on expressive playing dynamics.

Taylor V-Class Bracing with Relief Rout

At the heart of the Taylor 618e is Taylor V-Class bracing with Relief Rout.

V-Class bracing represents a fundamental evolution beyond traditional X-bracing. Taylor designed the system to optimize an acoustic guitar's response by improving volume, sustain, and intonation.

On the 618e, V-Class bracing works especially well with the Grand Orchestra's large internal air capacity, creating a powerful acoustic voice while maintaining clarity and responsiveness.

V-Class technology helps produce:

• Increased volume and projection
• Longer sustain
• Improved intonation
• Clearer, more orderly notes
• Consistent response across the fretboard
• More precise pitch
• Stronger harmonic response

The combination of the Grand Orchestra body and V-Class bracing gives the 618e an impressive combination of size, power, sensitivity, and musicality.

Taylor Expression System 2 Electronics

The Taylor Expression System 2 Professional Audio-Grade electronics make the 618e equally capable on stage and in the studio.

The ES2 uses Taylor's patented behind-the-saddle pickup system, featuring three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. Because the sensors are positioned behind the saddle rather than underneath it, the system allows the bottom of the saddle to maintain full contact with the bridge.

This design helps capture more of the guitar's natural acoustic character when amplified.

The ES2 includes:

• Behind-the-saddle transducer
• Three individually calibrated pickup sensors
• Professional audio-grade preamp
• Volume control
• Active bass control
• Active treble control
• Onboard phase switch for feedback control
• Proprietary 9V battery compartment

The result is a dynamic amplified acoustic sound suitable for PA systems, acoustic amplifiers, recording software, and other professional applications.

Antique Blonde Finish & Mission Inlay Design

The Taylor 618e combines its advanced acoustic architecture with a distinctive visual design.

The Antique Blonde shading highlights the natural character of the maple while giving the guitar a refined, vintage-inspired appearance.

The fretboard features Taylor's Mission inlay pattern, inspired by the architecture of California's Spanish missions. The inlay incorporates celluloid/shell, grained ivoroid, and mother-of-pearl elements.

The guitar also features maple binding accented with koa and ivoroid top trim, giving the 618e an especially refined appearance.

Beveled Cutaway for Upper-Fret Access

The Taylor 618e features a beveled cutaway, providing improved access to the upper portion of the fingerboard while preserving the substantial body volume and acoustic character of the Grand Orchestra design.

With 20 frets and a 25-1/2" scale length, the 618e provides the familiar Taylor playing experience in a large-bodied acoustic platform.

Who Is the Taylor 618e For?

The Taylor 618e is an excellent choice for players looking for a premium, full-size acoustic-electric guitar with a powerful voice and exceptional dynamic response.

It's particularly well suited to:

• Singer-songwriters
• Solo performers
• Fingerstyle guitarists
• Flatpickers
• Country and Americana players
• Folk musicians
• Recording artists
• Professional live performers
• Players who prefer large-bodied or jumbo-style acoustic guitars
• Guitarists who want the clarity and transparency of maple with enhanced warmth and complexity

The Grand Orchestra body is especially attractive to solo performers who want an expansive palette of sonic colors and textures. 

Taylor 618e: A Maple Grand Orchestra Built for Expression

The Taylor 618e Grand Orchestra brings together Taylor's largest acoustic body shape, solid torrefied Sitka spruce, solid Big Leaf maple, V-Class bracing, and Expression System 2 electronics in one highly versatile instrument.

Its maple construction gives the guitar a clear, transparent response that reflects the player's technique, while Taylor's V-Class architecture provides powerful projection, sustain, and precise intonation. The result is an acoustic-electric guitar that can deliver everything from subtle, intimate playing to a huge, room-filling acoustic voice.

With its Antique Blonde finish, Mission inlays, maple binding, beveled cutaway, ES2 electronics, and Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Case, the 618e is as visually distinctive as it is sonically capable.

Specs

• Model: Taylor 618e
• Body Shape: Grand Orchestra
• Cutaway: Beveled Cutaway
• Orientation: Right-Handed
• Top Wood: Solid Sitka Spruce
• Top Treatment: Torrefied
• Back & Sides: Solid Big Leaf Maple
• Bracing: Taylor V-Class Bracing with Relief Rout
• Body Finish: Gloss
• Finish/Color: Antique Blonde
• Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple
• Neck Shape: Standard Taylor Profile
• Neck Finish: Satin
• Fingerboard: Genuine West African Ebony
• Headstock Overlay: Genuine West African Ebony
• Nut Width: 1-3/4" (44.5 mm)
• Scale Length: 25-1/2"
• Number of Frets: 20
• Number of Strings: 6
• Electronics: Taylor Expression System 2 Professional Audio-Grade
• Pickup Configuration: Behind-the-Saddle Transducer with Adjustable Sensors
• Preamp/EQ: Volume, Active Bass & Treble
• Feedback Control: Onboard Phase Switch
• Tuning Machines: Taylor Nickel Tuners
• Bridge: Genuine West African Ebony
• Saddle: Micarta "Wave" Saddle
• Nut: Teflon-Infused Graphite Nut
• Fretboard Inlays: Mission Inlay
• Binding: Maple with Koa and Ivoroid Top Trim
• Case: Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Case
• Country of Origin: USA

Why Choose the Taylor 618e?

Grand Orchestra Body

Taylor's largest and deepest body shape produces a rich, complex, powerful acoustic voice with impressive projection.

Solid Sitka Spruce Top

The torrefied Sitka spruce top delivers broad dynamic range, crisp articulation, resonance, and responsiveness.

Solid Big Leaf Maple

Maple provides clarity and transparency while Taylor's voicing gives the 618e additional warmth, complexity, volume, sustain, and responsiveness.

V-Class Bracing

Taylor V-Class bracing improves volume, sustain, and intonation while creating a clear and consistent response across the fretboard.

Expression System 2

Taylor's ES2 electronics provide dynamic, natural amplified tone for live performance, acoustic amplification, and recording.

Beveled Cutaway

The beveled cutaway provides convenient access to the upper frets while maintaining the substantial Grand Orchestra body.

Premium 600 Series Appointments

Antique Blonde shading, Mission inlays, maple binding, koa and ivoroid top trim, and ebony appointments give this 618e a distinctive high-end appearance.

Made in the USA

This Taylor 618e is built in the USA and features premium materials and construction throughout.

What's Included

• Taylor 618e Grand Orchestra Acoustic-Electric Guitar
• Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Case

Why Shop at Metz Music?

At Metz Music, we’re more than just a place to buy musical instruments—we’re musicians helping musicians. We offer quality instruments and gear from trusted brands, backed by knowledgeable, personal service. Whether you’re a beginner choosing your first instrument or a seasoned player looking for your next upgrade, we’re here to help you find the right fit. Shop with confidence at Metz Music and experience the difference that comes from a music store that truly cares about your sound.